Autor: Xabier Gómez Meabe

Blog post written by Xabier Gómez Meabe – Foreign Trade Assistant

On Thursday the 2nd of March, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom organised a wine-tasting event for 20 wineries from the region of Castilla-La Mancha and a group of 25 importers in the United Kingdom for the Instituto de Promoción Exterior de Castilla-La Mancha (IPEX).

Castilla-La Mancha is located in the heartland of Spain, with five provinces (Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Toledo) that make up this large autonomous community, best known as the home of the Castilian ‘knight’ Don Quixote de la Mancha. The Castilla-La Mancha region is a very important food producer in Spain, well known for the quality and appeal of their Manchego Cheese and their premium Saffron. It may come as surprise to learn that Castilla-La Mancha is also home to important vineyards. The region has witnessed an increase in both high-quality olive oil and wine production for just over a decade.

What’s more, DO La Mancha is the largest wine region in Spain. Traditionally seen only as a high-volume producer of wines, Castilla-La Mancha has adapted modern vinification techniques to produce clean, stable wines that are increasingly popular in the international market. Fresh, crisp, delicately fruity whites, and more complex, mature reds are well worth seeking out, as wine lovers increasingly discover. Moreover, there are nine controlled denominations (PDO or DO in Spanish),  the most common of which are La Mancha, Valdepeñas, and Vino de la Tierra de Castilla.

The event took place in Chamber’s Member Hispania London’s restaurant, in the heart of the City. Twenty handpicked wine producers from the region offered their wines to a selection of Wholesalers and Importers from the United Kingdom, as the wineries are currently seeking opportunities to expand their wine distribution in the United Kingdom. The attendees had the opportunity to taste an extensive variety of wines made with a selection of local grapes, such as Airen for white wine, Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante bouche), Monastrell, Bobal, Tempranillo (for red wine). As well as wine made with international varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Verdejo. In order to further promote the product of the region, there were an assortment of delicious canapés provided by Hispania’s accredited Chef Marcos Morán (one Michelin Star and three Soles Repsol) prepared with ingredients from Castilla-La Mancha.

This was the fourth face-to-face meeting with wine importers in the United Kingdom, organised by IPEX as part of their promotional scheme abroad. Since 2015, IPEX has conducted wine tastings for Castilla-La Mancha wine producers in many markets within the European Union (Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands) as well as in the United Kingdom.

The institution’s motivation for targeting the United Kingdom is primarily due to the scope and size of the wine market, as well as UK importers’ increasing interest in Spanish wine. The market is expanding and has increased by 25% from 2010 to 2020. The pandemic and Brexit have led to a total reorganisation of the sector, with many changes both in consumer habits and in the distribution structure. Nonetheless, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (ACC) signed in December 2020 to regulate relations between the United Kingdom and the EU after Brexit has dispelled the difficulties of tariffs and hard technical barriers that threatened access to European wines.

Furthermore, the British have shown greater demand for higher-quality products, whilst at the same time, wine sales have increased their shares each year, particularly with regards to total consumption of alcoholic beverages in the last five years. The wine market in the United Kingdom is one of the leaders in the sector worldwide, being the second largest importer in value, only behind the United States, with 3,429 million euros during the past year 2020.

Finally, we are very pleased that IPEX has trusted the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom as their partner to organise the wine tasting. The Spanish Chamber has been helping Spanish companies to reach the British market since its foundation in 1886, as well as collaborating with other Spanish organisations to promote Spanish food and beverages in the United Kingdom and help producers to establish commercial partnerships with British importers.

Blog post written by Xabier Gómez Meabe – Foreign Trade Assistant

To kick start 2023, we teamed up with Chamber Member Brandlond to hold an exclusive and rigorously planned #retailtourexperience in Central London, led and designed by their CEO Marc Guitart. With him, we visited several of the most exciting stores in the area and learned how they use the shopping experience to increase their customer’s loyalty.

Marc is an award-winning designer and founder of brandcelona® in 2006 and brandlond® in 2018. He is also a branding lecturer at several universities, and the digital magazine CEO Monthly recognised him as the Most Innovative Brand Marketing CEO in 2022.

The event consisted of a guided and commented tour through selected brands that focus on their point of sale as a part of their business model, positioning themselves as a leader in it. The carefully planned route began at the Spanish Chamber office in Marylebone at 09:00 am and took us through Marylebone High Street.

Our first stop on the Tour was Conran Shop, three floors of elegant, contemporary furnishings, iconic designs, one-of-a-kind vintage furniture pieces, art and design books, fashion accessories, and innovative gifts. Marc emphasised the importance of considering store layout and contemporary design, aspects that have been mastered by and are strongly associated with Conran Shop.

We continued with Aésop, a skincare brand, and Le Labo, a New York-based perfume house that has become iconic for its collection of hand-made perfumes using the highest quality raw ingredients. Marc highlighted the intelligent use of lighting in the two boutiques, namely that it added a homely ambiance to both stores, emulating a feeling of comfort to the customer as well as drawing attention to certain products. The significance of store positioning and urbanism on a high street was also emphasised. In addition, regarding Le Labo’s bags, Marc stressed the importance of the luxurious touch and feel of products and accessories, which enhance both customer satisfaction and the quality of the brand.

Next, Marc took us to Bayley & Sage, a store where they deliver the highest quality, knowledge and provenance of fruit, vegetables, meat or the delicious seasonal dishes prepared in their kitchens. To finish with the Marylebone High Street, we visited one of the finest cheesemongers in London, La Fromagerie and Ottolenghi restaurant, where we learnt about the display of the softened with cosy, natural wooden finish space and the large and transparent windows that provides splendour to the brand.

We soon transitioned from the small boutiques of Marylebone into the landmark destination and social hub, Selfridges on Oxford Street. We visited the Korean sunglasses store, Gentle Monster where Marc stressed how the retail tour allows us to see which tools are competitive in the market, emphasising ‘The Giant’ by Gentle Monster, a large kinetic sculpture of a hyper realistic human face. The kinetic sculpture provides a unique and surreal experience for visitors and certainly differentiates the brand from their competition. This is particularly important in a store like Selfridges, where brands must be innovative in order to stand out in a room filled with quality products and brands.

Finally, the tour came to an end in Mercato Mayfair, where Chamber Benefactor and Non-Executive Chairman of Mercato, Julio Bruno, kindly hosted us in the crypt of this breath-taking, grade-1 listed building, explaining the concept of the popular food market in depth. The Mercato Metropolitano is a cultural hub of sustainable and authentic food that is locally sourced, as well as being a great community space and a more affordable location for a quality lunch or dinner in Mayfair.

We had a great time with Marc, and we want to thank everyone that attended and made the day special! We had attendees from some of our Member companies: Basque Trade and Investment, Ria Money Transfer, Cuatrecasas, Gómez Acebo & Pombo, and Diversitas Institute.